Concertmaster
Sponsored by David and Linda Roth

HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as recitalist, chamber musician and orchestra leader. Since early performances he was praised by audiences and critics for his virtuosity and musical sensitivity. The Miami Herald wrote: “Sigal demonstrated what a fine violinist he is, playing passionately and cleanly with a soaring tone,” and the Hartford Courant echoes: “His tone was consistently sweet. He brought a clear sense of phrasing, articulation and effortless virtuosity.” Born in Moscow, Russia, he began violin studies at the age 5, and was accepted to the renowned Gnessin School of Music. He went on attending and graduating with excellence from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Winner of several violin competitions and recipient of the 1993 Meadows Artistic Scholarship Award, he moved to the US, where he had also studied with Erick Friedman and had taken masterclasses with Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman. In 1995 he was invited by Michael Tilson Thomas to a prestigious fellowship at the New World Symphony, where he was one of the principals and also coached as conductor. His experience includes recitals, chamber music, festival and orchestral appearances in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Japan and South Korea. He had performed under Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein, Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Tilson Thomas, James Levine, Herbert Blomstedt to name a few. A passionate chamber musician, he collaborated with Mstislav Rostropovich, Evgeny Kissin, Edgar Meyer, Joseph Silverstein, James Ehnes, Roberto Diaz and William Wolfram among others. In 2007 he inaugurated and became Artistic Director of the HSO’s Sunday Serenades chamber music series at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Mr. Sigal’s annual appearances as soloist with the HSO include highly acclaimed performances of Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, concertos by Mozart, Brahms, Sibelius, Barber and Shostakovich. In 2011 Mr. Sigal performed, and later recorded, a world premiere of Stephen Michael Gryc’ Violin Concerto Harmonia Mundi, written for him and commissioned by the HSO. Recent and upcoming season highlights include Brahms’ Double Concerto with cellist David Finckel,  Concertos by Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Chausson’s Poeme and Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy, Saint Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Tzigane by Ravel, as well as Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s Symposium to commemorate the composer’s 100th birthday in 2018. Mr. Sigal also serves as concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, as well as faculty member at University of Hartford’s The Hartt School. Previously Associate Concertmaster of the Florida Philharmonic, he had performed with the San Diego Symphony and Boston Symphony Orchestra. He had served as Artistic Director of the Miami Chamber Symphony, as well as violin faculty at the Eastern Music Festival. Since August of 2012, at the invitation of Music Director Gerard Schwarz, he has been part of the Emmy Award-winning and nationally syndicated program All Star Orchestra alongside fellow concertmasters and principals from the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, The Met Orchestra, Boston, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Minnesota and other major American orchestras.